Little Theatre embarks on twinning project

Athlone Little Theatre is spreading its dramatic wings by embarking on an exciting, new twinning project with a Belfast-based theatre.

In an historic departure for the group, in existence since 1936, Athlone Little Theatre has launched a new drama link with South Bank Playhouse in Belfast. 
Later this summer, the very first event of this new North/South cooperation promises to be a treat for drama fans as Athlone Little Theatre will host the Belfast group's production of 'Plaza Suite' by Neil Simon on August 9 and 10.
Work has been ongoing on the project for several months, and on May 13 last, committee members of Athlone Little Theatre hosted the Chairperson of South Bank Playhouse, David Fullerton, and Joe Wildy, a group member and Director, who is the brainchild of the twinning project and who is a frequent visitor to Athlone.
Hailing the start of the new North/South drama initiative, Chairperson of Athlone Little Theatre Annette Dowling said: "We are looking forward very much to welcoming members from South Bank Playhouse to our theatre in August for their production of the 'Plaza Suite', as we embark on our twinning project with the Belfast theatre group.  
"This is a new venture for Athlone Little Theatre, through which we hope to share knowledge, skills, experience and a passion for theatre and performance, with our counterparts from Northern Ireland".
A very progressive theatre group, South Bank Playhouse was formed in 1998 by the amalgamation of two of Belfast’s foremost amateur companies – the Osborne and Trident Players. The group has a membership of about 70.
Each year they present three main productions ranging from traditional classics such as Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, and Shakespeare’s Macbeth to uproarious farces like Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, and Alain-Rene Lesage’s Turcaret. The group also includes Irish writers like James Joyce, John B Keane, Seamus Heaney and Martin McDonagh in its programme. 
This year, South Bank Playhouse is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their premises in Kimberly Drive, off Sunnyside Street in South Belfast, a former Scout Hall, which they have transformed into a 65-seater theatre with a performance space, kitchen, committee room, storage areas and a costume/green room.
It's hoped Athlone Little Theatre will also bring some of their drama productions up North in the near future as part of the twinning project, while also partnering with the Belfast group on areas of common interest and partnership events.
For now, both groups are gearing up for the first event of the twinning project on August 9 and 10 when Southbank Playhouse bring the brilliantly funny 'Plaza Suite' by Neil Simon to Athlone Little Theatre directed by Eamon Jones and Stephen Beggs.Hilarity abounds in this terrific comic portrait of three very different couples occupying the same suite at the New York Plaza Hotel on three very different occasions. A fantastic night of comedy is on the cards in Athlone, all courtesy of South Bank Playhouse.